Category Archives: politics

So here are some stats to help you when you are discussing the election with your undecided friends. These are the facts and the numbers don’t lie. It doesn’t take a CPA to figure out if something doesn’t change quickly we are headed for an economic collapse. The tipping point is already on the horizon…

The Economy, Jobs & Taxes:

America’s Rank in Global Business Competitiveness: Before BO #1 Currently #7 (Source: US News & World Report)

Current National Debt – $16.2 Trillion (Source: US Treasury)

New Debt Added Since Obama was elected – $5.5 Trillion (Source: US Treasury)

Your share of the National Debt – $51,419 (Source: US Treasury)

Increase in your share since Obama took office – $17,554 (Source: US Treasury)

Pages of new Federal Regulations since Obama took office: 11,327 (Source: Federal Register)

Healthcare, Food, Gas & Education:

Avg. Increase in the cost of a family health plan since Obama took office: $3,065 or 24.2% (Source: The Kaiser Foundation)

# of people on Food Stamps: 47,025,030 (Source: US Dept. of Agriculture)

Avg. increase in cost of Groceries for a family of 4: 5.15% (Source: US Dept. of Agriculture)

Increase in the price of gas: 106% up from $1.89 to $3.89 per gallon (Source: US Dept. of Transportation)

Avg. Increase for In-State Tuition since Obama took office: 25% (Source: The college Board)

So there you have it. The numbers speak for themselves. We can’t afford to keep spending at these levels and increasing taxes stunts growth while killing jobs. We saw the same trends during the Carter Administration. Reagan corrected the problem by managing down the size of government and cutting taxes to stimulate growth. We rode that wave all the way through the Clinton Administration. We can do it again but not with a president that is more interested in “redistribution” than growth and creating opportunity.

Wake up, America! Reject Socialism and Restore the Republic!

“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy” – Thomas Jefferson

The current uproar in Wisconsin has brought to the forefront the inequities of the ongoing economic crisis in the U.S. Yes, I said ongoing because despite a few improved economic indicators there is still massive unemployment and more U.S. families on food stamps than ever before.

Yet through this entire economic mess the least affected group has been unionized government workers. For example, the average union government employee pays less than 10% of their annual health insurance cost while in the private sector the average is over 25%. Nationally, union workers in both state and local government jobs earn approximately 45% more in total compensation than workers in the private sector.

It is estimated that the tab for the unfunded liabilities created by these government union contracts now exceed $3 trillion.

In the private sector during this time we have seen massive lay-offs, wage and benefit reductions or freezes. While in the public sector contractual wage and benefit increases hum along even though the economic conditions no longer support them.

The problem with the public unions at the state and local levels is simple to understand. The unions help elect the politicians that ultimately become their “bosses”. They make large campaign contributions and use their influence to rally union members to vote for candidates that they can count on to cooperate with them in future negotiations. The Center for Responsive Politics estimated that in the recent elections, public sector unions contributed over $20 million to candidates as well as another $90 million to the political parties. Over 90% of that has gone to the Democrats.

Meanwhile back in Wisconsin, the average teacher earns $77,857 per year (including benefits). Compare that to the median household income in Wisconsin which is only $50,000 and many households have more than one wage earner.

Over the past three years government employees have not experienced the erosion in their standard of living that rest of the workforce has had to endure. Public sector employees must come to grips with the fact that their real employers, the taxpayers, will not continue to fund a lifestyle that indemnifies them from the national economic reality.

As states and local governments try to cut costs in a tough economy, the unions are facing a rising backlash against their pay, benefits and pensions.

Wisconsin is not alone in looking at aggressive changes to their relationship with unionized government workers. Other states (MI, IN, OH, TN, NY, NJ, ID, IA) are also looking at a variety of strategies to try to control union labor costs.

Some examples are:

Limiting their collective bargaining to base pay excluding benefits and some work rules

Aligning maximum raises to the Consumer Price Index

Requiring higher levels of contributions toward pensions

Requiring higher levels of contributions toward healthcare

Eliminating excessive fringe benefits (such as Viagra coverage)

These measures are not designed to eliminate the unions but rather to level the playing field. It gives the taxpayers and elected officials ability to negotiate in a more equitable manner with unions that control essential services. It seems we are tired of having a gun to our head.

What has developed is a death match between the old guard of the Democrats, organized labor and the new guard of the Republicans, small government, fiscal conservatives. In the end Americans want fairness, equity and fiscal responsibility from their government. The resentment toward public sector unions has been building for some time now. Taxpayers are fed up their taxes being squandered on union contracts for public employees that do not reflect the reality of the private sector job market. It isn’t like most people associate government employees with service and performance excellence as a whole.

It is time to end the excessive influence and continue appeasement of these unions over state and local governments. This influence for years has been the fuel for backroom deals, corruption. The result is economic crisis at the state and local government level across the nation with dozens of states teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Wake up, America! It’s time to face reality and make the changes necessary to save our country. We must end the circular relationship between unionized government employees and the politicians they help to elect!

Turn on a radio or a TV and listen to any news show discussing the “shellacking” the democrats received in the recent election and you will likely hear the Tea Party described as an anti–government movement. This is a complete misrepresentation.

Those who say the Tea Party is anti-government either simply don’t get it or are just not listening. The Tea Party and its’ supporters are strong supporters of the government established by the U.S. Constitution and the philosophy of government it represents.

The constant inaccurate media coverage and the continued bashing of the Tea Parties by the liberal press are only strengthening the Tea Party’s message. Tea Party members are not a bunch of right wing extremists trying to disrupt the system. They are conservatives trying to make their voices heard and participate in the political process. Their grassroots efforts were aimed at the direction and policies of the previous Congress and the Obama Administration.

The Tea Party issues are:

Ending excessive taxes

Reducing government spending

Stopping nationalization of private businesses

Ending excessive government manipulation/control of the financial markets

Stopping redistribution of wealth

Ending government bailout plans

Preventing loss of individual freedoms

Overturning the government takeover of healthcare

Securing the borders and implementing an intelligent immigration policy

Protecting our national sovereignty

The founding fathers established 28 principles of freedom which were framed into the Constitution. These principles were the foundation of our laws and beliefs for the last 200 years. They helped America become the most powerful and free nation on earth. As a result, we have enjoyed an unparalleled standard of living and individual freedoms unheard of anywhere else on earth. Our Constitution is the most original government charter every conceived. The government it created fueled America’s greatness, the American Dream and the innovation that powered American exceptionalism.

Concerned citizens everywhere have gotten involved. They are exercising their unique right as Americans to participate in the process of government. All citizens that value their freedom have a responsibility to exercise these rights. The Tea Party pushed for a return to a government that follows the Constitution and its principles. The Tea Parties represents the desire by many citizens to restore these values within the government. In the end the Tea Party and its’ members are actually pro-government, they just do not support the over reaching type of government that Washington has become. Through peaceful rallies these citizens have promoted their ideals and made their voices heard. The outcome of the election shows that many of their fellow citizens are listening. Isn’t that the way a Republic is supposed to work?

The real question now is – Is Washington listening?

As Florida Senator-elect Marco Rubio so eloquently put it, “We make a great mistake if we believe that tonight these results are somehow an embrace of the Republican Party. What they are, is a second chance, a second chance for Republicans to be what they said they were going to be not so long ago.’’

America, we have taken the first step but there is still a lot of work to do. We must continue to hold our elected officials accountable. The newly elected members of Congress must stand by the rhetoric that got them elected or face the consequences.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical.”

It appears the system still works in America, the people have spoken. The pro-constitutional government, Tea Party conservatives are not going away. They are exercising their rights to help shape the policies of the government in which they believe.

“I am president. I’m not king. I can’t do these things just by myself. If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying we’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s going to be harder, and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2nd. …Well, I’m disappointed, too. Many Republicans who used to support comprehensive immigration reform, like John McCain, decided not to support it. The problem that we have is that until I can get some cooperation from the other side, then people who are anti-immigration reform can continue to block it. And that’s why this election coming up is so important because we essentially have to say that those who are politicizing the issue, who are supportive of the Arizona law, who talk only about border security but aren’t willing to talk about the other aspects of this, who don’t support the DREAM Act, who are out there engaging in rhetoric that is divisive and damaging, those aren’t the kinds of folks who represent our core American values”. – Barack Obama on Univision, 10/25/10

Obama also said, “Republicans had driven the economy into a ditch and then stood by and criticized while Democrats pulled the economy out, and now the progress has been made, we can’t have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle-class families up front in the car. We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in the back.’

How ironic is this statement? After all this is the President of the United States talking. The president who is suppose to be a healer and “post racial”. He was the president that was supposed to inspire and unify America. When before in history has a U.S. President suggested that fellow citizens that didn’t agree with his policies are the enemy and should be punished? Obama has finally showed his true colors in a public forum in a way that can’t be denied.

Given the tone of this statement, how can he accuse anyone else of “rhetoric that is divisive and damaging”? Does the president even know anyone who represents core American values?

So far the only thing this president has demonstrated is the ability to divide as well as unbelievable arrogance and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Since taking office he has repeatedly sent the message that it’s his way or no way. There is no evidence that he is capable of meaningful compromise. He has had many opportunities to give small compromises to the Republicans during the past two legislative sessions. There were opportunities in both the Stimulus and Healthcare debates. In either case small compromises would have helped him neutralize the Republican objections but his ego wouldn’t permit it. Here are some examples of his arrogant posturing:

On the Economy:

After a long meeting with Congressional leaders prior to the passing of the Stimulus Bill, Republican leaders were voicing there disagreement and offering ideas on ways to compromise on the contents of the bill. After shooting down all their ideas, Obama told the Republicans, “on some of these issues we’re just going to have ideological differences.” The president added, “I won. So I think on that one, I trump you.”

At a DNC fundraising dinner in San Francisco, President Obama took a shot at his critics saying, “Another way of putting it is when, you know, I’m busy and [Speaker] Nancy [Pelosi]’s busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else’s mess — we don’twant somebody sitting back saying, you’re not holding the mop the right way.” Or from a Virginia fundraiser, “I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to just get out of the way so we can clean up the mess!” In others words – Shut Up!

On the Tea Party and Conservatives:

In a meeting with Congressional democrats to promote his healthcare reform bill Obama was quoted by the New York Times as saying, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.”

At a San Francisco fundraiser Obama said, “You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations”.

Apparently, all conservatives or anyone for that matter who disagrees with his policies is a frustrated, bigoted, extremist.

On Immigration:

On July 2nd, President Obama gave a speech at American University and said, “…it’s not just that the law Arizona passed is divisive — although it has fanned the flames of an already contentious debate. Laws like Arizona’s put huge pressures on local law enforcement to enforce rules that ultimately are unenforceable. It puts pressure on already hard-strapped state and local budgets…. These laws also have the potential of violating the rights of innocent American citizens and legal residents, making them subject to possible stops or questioning because of what they look like or how they sound.”

“One of the things that the (Arizona) law says is local officials are allowed to ask somebody who they have a suspicion might be a illegal immigrant for their papers. Now, suddenly, if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re gonna be harassed. That’s something that could potentially happen.” – Barack Obama

Based on the above comments, Obama’s recent remarks on a webcast designed to fire up his supporters seems quite hypocritical…

“The question, once again, is going to be whether hope overcomes fear. Essentially, what the other side has decided is that they are going to try to ride fear and anxiety all the way to the ballot box on November 2.” – Barack Obama

And let’s not forget, the President also struggles with his own feelings on Race and Racism:

“I ceased to advertise my mother’s race at the age of twelve or thirteen, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.”

“I found solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother’s race.”

“To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully. The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists.”

“I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds. One of those tricks I had learned: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved — such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn’t seem angry all the time.”

“The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she is a typical white person…”

“That’s just how white folks will do you.”

– All of these quotes are from Obama’s books, writings and speeches

And one more contradiction for good measure – Obama on why the democrats are having such a tough time in the mid-term elections:

“Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared.’’ Apparently, we are not real smart.

Some of the Presidents friends and supporters have also weighed in on why the democrat’s strategies are failing and their concerns about the conservative message:

Sen. John Kerry -“We have an electorate that doesn’t always pay that much attention to what’s going on, so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth.’’ John, can you say “Hope and Change”?

ABC’s Christiane Amanpour – “I mean there’s been a long and venerable tradition of conservatism in this country. You can go back at least to Ronald Reagan, William F. Buckley, all of that sort of intellectual conservatism that lasted about 30 years and people are saying that right now, it’s really gone to the extreme. People are looking at the tea party and saying this is not conservatism as we knew it, but it’s extreme”. Apparently, conservatives used to be smart, now we’re just scary!

Rob Reiner explaining his fear of the Tea Party with a Hitler comparison: “He wasn’t a majority guy, but he was charismatic and they were having bad economic times – just like we are now – people were out of work, they needed jobs and a guy came along and rallied the troops.My fear is that the Tea Party gets a charismatic leader, because all they’re selling is fear and anger and that’s all Hitler sold – “I’m angry and I’m frightened and you should hate that guy over there.” Ironically, polls indicate that unemployment is highest among those who likely voted for Obama.

But there you have it, if you breakdown the opinions and commentary from the left as laid out above, you would probably conclude that conservatives are scared, angry, ignorant, bigoted, simpletons who will follow the first smooth talking shyster (lawyer/community organizer) with a great slogan (Hope & Change) that comes along, down a path that will destroy America. Wait a minute!! So why aren’t these people jumping on the Obama bandwagon? Oh, yeah their conservatives with American values.

This president has attempted to divide America on the basis of race, class and partisanship for his own political gain and to further his progressive agenda. He is not above telling a big lie and repeating it with conviction to manipulate his listeners. Now using his “big lie” techniques and out of desperation to avoid a mid-term electoral disaster as a last resort, the president is calling for “punishing of our (political) enemies” and the “rewarding of our (political) friends”.

Wake up, America! It is time to clean the House and the Senate of the “friends” of the Progressive Agenda! It is time to take back our country and stop its fundamental transformation. On Nov. 2nd vote for America and freedom. Vote conservative!

Restore the Republic, Reject the Agenda of the Progressive Left!

“The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves” – George Washington

“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen”- Samuel Adams

“A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins” – Benjamin Franklin

Since early 2009 a conservative backlash has been brewing in America. It started slowly with a few small local Tea Party rallies, mostly focused on the impact of high income tax and excessive government spending on families, the economy and America. Tax Day (April 15th) 2008 marked a turning point as rallies large and small were held across the nation. Suddenly conservatives realized two things – there were a lot more of us than we realized and we could loosely organize to make a difference.

The nationwide Tax Day rallies were the result of a grassroots internet campaign. These rallies were self funded and run almost exclusively at the local level. I know – I was one of the organizers of the St. Paul MN rally held on the steps of the state capitol building. Our rally drew over 7,000 attendees that day. Even in liberal Minnesota there were signs of the coming backlash.

So here we are nearly two years later and halfway through the first term of the Obama presidency. Obama was swept into office with a message of “Hope and Change”. Many of those who voted for him bought into the slick marketing of his campaign. They believed that this president would right the wrongs and end government as usual. He promised fairness as well as a new prosperity that would make America a better place and people bought it. His campaign positioned him as “the post racial president”, a healer and center left moderate but in reality he is a progressive. As people began to realize who they had elected the euphoria which reined after his election quickly turned to discontentment.

The mood of America is now colored with grim concern. The independents and blue dog democrats that helped elect Obama have come to realize that he does not share their values or belief in the American way of life. In fact, they finally understand what Obama meant when he said that “we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America” in an Oct. 31, 2008 speech in Missouri. Obama and his cohorts would like to create a new foundation for America, a foundation based on progressive values which have their roots in socialism/communism.

Their idea of government would be more of the European model of a socialist democracy with over reaching government controls, entitlements and heavy taxes to support a “nanny state” approach to “social justice”. There are two major problems with this model. First, it doesn’t work. It has not worked anywhere it was tried. It’s already falling apart in the liberals current favorite example of social democracy, Venezuela. Second, Europe is an economic disaster. Its’ citizens are rioting in the streets as their governments try to figure out how to make good on all the entitlements they promised as their economies tank. (See Greece, France and Portugal for examples) To add additional salt to the wound, European society has begun to spiral out of control as years of “open borders and society” has resulted in a Muslim occupation in some areas of Europe leading to bitter fights over the secular rule of law versus Sharia law. These are all consequences of a social democracy.

If we are not careful we will end up in the same place. Just this year, the Congressional Budget Office said that our national debt as a percentage of GDP will triple by 2035 which would be 185% of GDP. This represents nothing short of an economic train wreck.

To stay on a path that leads to a social democracy would be a fundamental transformation of America! As it turns out though this is not what most Americans want. Most Americans (75% overall) still believe in the American Dream and traditional American values according to recent surveys. Here are some other findings of recent polls that indicate that America is still a Christian leaning, patriotic, capitalist, center right country with traditional values:

The majority of Americans in every age group still believe that America is the land of opportunity.

75% of Americans still believe “America is the greatest country in the world”.

80% of Americans claim Christianity as their religion and 50% of Americans believe life in the United States would be better if more people lived Christian values

64% of voters say the country is on the wrong track and this number is steadily increasing.

90% of Mainstream voters favor a free market economy. 75% of likely voters overall believe in a free market economy rather than one controlled by the government.

58% of all voters favor increased competition over increased government regulation as the best way to hold big business accountable.

65% of voters overall, prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes rather than one with more services and higher taxes. Even 32% of Democrats now prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes.

83% of Americans believe it is somewhat likely that the federal government will have to cut government spending in the next 10 years.

53% of likely U.S. voters favor repeal of the health care law, including 43% who Strongly Favor repeal.

51% of Americans believe the healthcare law will increase the federal deficit. Only 30% believe it will reduce it.

It appears that Americans are reconnecting with their values. Sometimes it takes hardship to reawaken our spirits. I believe that recent times have taught us to value our freedom and our way of life. So now that we have the momentum to change the direction of our country and return to our core values, what’s our next move?

First, we must remember that the Republican Party has been a part of the problem as much as the Democrats for the past 20 years. Many moderate Republicans are progressives, too.

If we give the Republicans our votes – it should be done with this clear message – you work for us and from now on you will be held accountable for each and every vote you cast. No more back room deals, no more compromising. You campaigned on a platform that earned our votes, in return you need to vote the agenda that got you elected. If you don’t there won’t be another term.

This is the message that needs to be sent. No more politics as usual. There are many new faces on the political scene this year – most are riding the resurgent conservative wave. Hopefully they are who they say they are. Republicans, Independents and Tea Party candidates need to now do what is necessary to put America back on the right track. It’s time.

Restore the Republic, Reject the Agenda of the Progressive Left!

“If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values – that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control”. – Martin Luther King

If Ronald Reagan was around today he might give the same speech he gave on Labor Day, 30 years ago, with a few changes to reflect the current situation. While a few of the key factors are different the country finds itself in a very similar circumstance. So here is my modified version of Reagan‘s famous speech, I have provided both a video of the original speech and a link to the transcript for comparison. You can learn from history. The original speech should remind us we have been here before and fought our way back. We can do it again.

“It is fitting that on Labor Day, we meet beside the waters of New York harbor, with the eyes of Miss Liberty on our gathering and in the words of the poet whose lines are inscribed at her feet, “The air bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”

Through this “Golden Door,” under the gaze of that “Mother of Exiles,” have come millions of men and women, who first stepped foot on American soil right there, on Ellis Island, so close to the Statue of Liberty.

These families came here to work. They came to build. Others came to America in different ways, from other lands, under different, often harrowing conditions, but this place symbolizes what they all managed to build, no matter where they came from or how they came or how much they suffered.

They helped to build that magnificent city across the river. They spread across the land building other cities and towns and incredibly productive farms. They came to make America work. They didn’t ask what this country could do for them but what they could do to make this refuge the greatest home of freedom in history. They brought with them courage, ambition and the values of family, neighborhood, work, peace and freedom. They came from different lands but they shared the same values, the same dream.

Today a President of the United States would have us believe that dream is over or at least in need of change. Barack Obama’s Administration tells us that the descendants of those who sacrificed to start again in this land of freedom may have to abandon the dream that drew their ancestors to a new life in a new land.

The Obama record is a litany of despair, of broken promises, of sacred trusts abandoned and forgotten.

Officially over 14.5 million or 9.8% are unemployed but actually 25 million are out of work. 41 million Americans are now on food stamps. 981,000 Americans have had their homes go into foreclosure this year. The federal deficit is now over $13.5 trillion which adds up to over$120k per U.S. taxpayer. Yet this year, Obama and his friends in Congress will add another $1.3 trillion to the deficit. They are trying to fix unemployment with government jobs and are threatening to increase taxes on the “wealthiest” Americans. Of course these are the very people who could reinvest if not over taxed to create the private sector jobs we so desperately need. This President is interfering in the private sector and leading a government takeover of both the financial markets and healthcare. He is on the wrong side of immigration reform, states rights and climate change. He has a decidedly socialist agenda that pushes redistribution of wealth, entitlement programs and “fundamental transformation of America”. His answer to all of this misery? He tries to tell us that the economy is getting better – just more slowly than expected, as if —words–relieve our suffering. Let it show on the record that when the American people cried out against his healthcare reform plan, Barack Obama ignored them. When the American people begged for economic relief through job creation, Barack Obama gave them the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The real recovery will begin when Barack Obama loses his job.

I have talked with unemployed workers all across this country. I have heard their views on what Barack Obama has done to help them and their families. They aren’t interested in hearing about George Bush any more. They are out of work and they help. And they know the difference between a real recovery and a sucker’s rally.

Let Mr. Obama go to their homes, look their children in the eye and argue with them that this is a recovery even though dad or mom can’t find work. Let him go to the unemployment lines and lecture those workers who have been betrayed on what is the proper definition for their widespread economic misery. Human tragedy, human misery, the crushing of the human spirit. They do not need defining–they need action.

And it is action, in the form of jobs, lower taxes, and an expanded economy that — as President — I intend to provide.

Call this human tragedy whatever you want. Whatever it is, it is Barack Obama’s. He isn’t fixing it. He tolerates it. And he is going to answer to the American people for it.

Last week, more than two years after be became President, he still blames George Bush. And today he announced a new economic program designed to create jobs rebuilding America‘s infrastructure creating jobs in the construction and engineering trades which are some of hardest hit segments of the workforce. But wait – didn’t we already invest in the once before, something called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is another new economic program based on government spending. He talks as if someone else has been in charge these past few years. With two months to go until the election he rides to the rescue now with a crazy-quilt of obvious election-year promises which might even include extending the Bush tax cuts – which he’ll ask Congress for– after the election.

After two years of neglect, the misery of unemployment, foreclosures, the threat of higher taxes, dwindling earning power and inability to save–after all this, American workers have now been discovered by this administration.

Well it won’t work. It is cynical. It is political. And it is too late.

In 2009 he said the stimulus we could cap unemployment at 8% it is now at 9.8%.

In 2009 he said the stimulus would create shovel ready projects creating immediate employment opportunities – it didn’t. Who can believe him?

And most of us have begun to realize that so long as Obama’s policies are in effect, the next two years will be as dark as the last two. But here, beside the torch that many times before in our nation’s history has cast a golden light in times of gloom, I pledge to you I’ll bring a new message of hope to all America.

I look forward to meeting Mr. Obama in debate, confronting him with the whole sorry record of his Administration–the record he prefers not to mention. If he ever finally agrees to the kind of first debate the American people want–which I’m beginning to doubt–he’ll answer to them and to me.

This country needs a new Congress, with a renewed dedication to the dream of America–an administration that will give that dream new life and make America great again! An America that creates opportunity to create wealth not redistribute it, an America that follows the Constitution not fundamentally trying to transform it!

Restoring and revitalizing the American dream and American exceptionalism will take bold action.

On this day, dedicated to American working men and women, may I tell you the vision I have of a new administration and of a new Congress, filled with new members dedicated to the values we honor today?

Beginning in November of 2010, Americans will once again be heeded. Their needs and values will be acted upon in Washington. I will consult with representatives of management and organized labor on those matters concerning the welfare of the working people of this nation.

I happen to be the only president of a union ever to be President of the United States.

As president of my union — the Screen Actors Guild — I spent many hours with the late George Meany, whose love of this country and whose belief in a strong defense against all totalitarians is one of labor’s greatest legacies. Thirty one years ago today on Labor Day George Meany told the American people:

“As American workers and their families return from their summer vacations they face growing unemployment and inflation, a climate of economic anxiety and uncertainty.”

Well I pledge to you in his memory that the voice of the American worker will once again be heeded in Washington and that the climate of fear that he spoke of will no longer threaten workers and their families.

When we talk about tax reduction, when we talk about ending federal deficits by stopping it where it starts — in Washington — we are talking about a way to bring labor and management together for America. We are talking about jobs, and productivity and wages. We are talking about doing away with Barack Obama’s negative view of capitalism, and ever-shrinking economic pie with smaller pieces for each of us.

That’s no answer. We can have a bigger pie with bigger slices for everyone. I believe that together you and I can bake that bigger pie. We can make that dream that brought so many of us or our parents and grandparents to this land live once more.

Let us work to protect the human right to acquire and own a home, and make sure that that right is extended to as many Americans as possible. A home is part of that dream.

I want to work in Washington to roll back the crushing burden of taxation that limits investment, production, and the generation of real wealth for our people. A job, and savings, and hope for our children is part of that dream.

I want to help Americans of every race, creed and heritage keep and build that sense of community which is at the heart of America, for a decent neighborhood is part of that dream.

We will work to strengthen the small business sector which creates most of the new jobs we need for our people. Small business needs relief from government paperwork, relief from over-regulation, relief from a host of governmentally-created problems that defeat the effort of creative men and women. A chance to invest, build and produce new wealth is part of the dream.

But restoring the American dream requires more than restoring a sound, productive economy, vitally important as that is. It requires a return to spiritual and moral values, values so deeply held by those who came here to build a new life. We need to restore those values in our daily life, in our neighborhoods and in our government’s dealings with the other nations of the world.

We must remember that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. You and I must protect and preserve freedom here or it will not be passed on to our children.

I want more than anything I’ve ever wanted, to have a Congress that will, through its actions, at home and in the international arena, let millions of people know that Miss Liberty still “Lifts her lamp beside the golden door.” Through our international broadcasting stations — the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and the others — let us send, loud and clear, the message that this generation of Americans intends to keep that lamp shining; that this dream, this last best hope of man on earth, this nation under God, shall not perish from the earth. We will instead carry on the building of an American economy that once again holds forth real opportunity for all, we shall continue to be a symbol of freedom and guardian of the eternal values that so inspired those who came to this port of entry.

Let us pledge to each other, with this Great Lady looking on, that we can, and so help us God, we will make America great again.

A recent poll conducted by Pew Research Center and its affiliate Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 18% of Americans now believe that the president is a Muslim, up 7% from last year. The flack has gotten so bad that The White House Bill Burton even felt the need to issue a statement saying, “(Americans) are not reading a lot of news about what religion the president is. The president is obviously a Christian. He prays everyday.”

While the mainstream media continues to defend the president, concern among the average American grows – mostly driven by the president’s own behavior.

For two years in a row President Obama has been a no show on the National Day of Prayer, but has yet to miss hosting a Ramadan festival at the White House since becoming president.

The list of overtures that Obama has made to the Muslim world has caused many to wonder why he feels the need to try so hard to listen to Muslims and win them over while virtually ignoring the voice of Americans who do not agree with his policies.

While still a candidate for president, Obama was quoted as saying: “I think that the [political] right might worry a bit more about the dangers of sectarianism. Whatever we once were, we’re no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.”

Remember that the President’s father was a Muslim and Obama grew up in Indonesia which has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations. His administration has pushed hard to mend relations with Muslims. I do not know anyone who thinks that finding a way to peacefully co-exist with the Muslim world is a bad thing – but what price are we willing to pay for their cooperation. Are we willing to continue to allow the President’s pandering to them cause division within our own nation?

Here are a few more examples of Obama’s efforts and overtures to the Muslim world:

On Ramadan: “I know this to be a festive time,” he had said. “A time when families gather, friends host iftars, and meals are shared. But I also know that Ramadan is a time of intense devotion and reflection, a time when Muslims fast during the day and perform tarawih prayers at night, reciting and listening to the entire Koran over the course of the month. These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings.” For the past 10 years there has been very little evidence of Islam advancing any of these values or promoting peace!

Summer of Service Program: Obama has touted the “many Islamic organizations that have joined other faith-based groups at the forefront of his “Summer of Service” program to encourage Americans to volunteer in their communities.” Why go out of your way to specifically mention Muslim participation?

First TV Interview as President: Obama gave the first TV interview of his presidency to Al Arabiya, saying, “My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy.”

The Cairo Speech (a couple of excerpts): “So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. … Now, much has been made of the fact that an African American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President. But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores — and that includes nearly 7 million American Muslims in our country today who, by the way, enjoy incomes and educational levels that are higher than the American average.” Why does there always seem to be a shot at America or Americans in his comments?

The Christmas Decorations Controversy: Last December, word leaked out that the Obamas were planning a “non-religious Christmas”, whatever that is. According to Social Secretary Desiree Rogers the Obamas had decided not to put the White House Nativity scene on display which would have ended a longtime East Room tradition. All of this was reported in the NY Times, Fashion & Style section. In the article the White House confirmed to the Times that there had been discussions about the need to make Christmas more inclusive. In the end the Obamas caved to tradition but it has to make you wonder why a Christian family would consider such a move in the first place. Is it just political correctness gone awry or is there more to this?

And now the President’s latest fiasco – The GroundZero Mosque Controversy:

“Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities — particularly New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And ground zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.” – Barack Obama

In a series of recent comments, the President said that Muslims have the right to build a mosque near New York’s ground zero and that he supported the developers’ right to build there as well. Obama also stated that Muslims have the same right to freedom of religion as anyone else. All of which is true but does this make such a move the right thing to do? This is an administration that likes to harp on doing what’s right – so?

The mosque would be part of a $100 million Islamic community center two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center which was attacked and destroyed by Muslim terrorists on Sept.11, 2001. Almost 3000 people were killed in that attack.

Many Americans now feel betrayed by Obama’s comments. While it is true that a core American value is freedom of religion, there is also the recognition of the right to establish community standards.

As Democrat, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. describes it, “We have what we call in this country ‘community standards,’ and community standards ought to be left up to the community. The decision on permitting for any building, be it a mosque or a church, or whatever may be a place of worship, or be it a grocery store or a liquor store, those things are left up to community standards…”

In this case the standard might be simply based on common decency and respect.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y weighed in saying, “President Obama is wrong. It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero.”

Democrats disagreed also, Senate candidate Jeff Greene (D) FL said, “President Obama has this all wrong and I strongly oppose his support for building a mosque near ground zero especially since Islamic terrorists have bragged and celebrated destroying the Twin Towers and killing nearly 3,000 Americans. Freedom of religion might provide the right to build the mosque in the shadow of ground zero, but common sense and respect for those who lost their lives and loved ones gives sensible reason to build the mosque someplace else.”

Many believe that building a mosque near ground zero is a deliberately provocative act and extremely insensitive. Others are just disappointed in the president’s position. “Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America’s heart was broken nine years ago, and where her true values were on display for all to see,” said Debra Burlingame, who lost her brother that day. He was a pilot of one of the hijacked jets.

Even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office issued a statement saying, “The First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Senator Reid respects that, but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else.”

As for the Muslims who want to build this mosque claiming it will be a place that will foster understanding and cooperation between the Muslim community and their neighbors – here is an idea toward that goal; show a little sensitivity… build somewhere else!

I’ll stop here even though I could go on with questions about the theory that this is a “victory mosque” or question the credibility and motives of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the man behind the effort to build this mosque. However, none of that is the real story here – the real story or better yet question is – what does Barack Obama really stand for and what is his plan for America? One could argue that he has done more damage to the long term health of our country in less than two years than any president in history. (record deficit spending, healthcare reform, financial regulations and government takeovers of banks and companies, etc.)

Certainly none of this proves that the President is a Muslim or that it even matters. However in these few examples (and there are many more) one can not help but question why the President always seems to be on the side of everyone but Americans and that does matter. Whether we are talking about illegal immigration, America’s role in the world, the Constitution or capitalism – the President seems to always be opposed to core American values, beliefs and a constant critic of all that we stand for. Remember he wants to fundamentally transform America and so far he is succeeding.

It is time to stop this madness. Let’s not get distracted by this smoke screen. The President lobbed out these comments and went on vacation, secure in the knowledge that we will waste our time debating this instead of focusing on the systematic destruction of our country and our economy. I don’t know if the President is a Muslim, but I am damn sure he is a socialist!

Wake up, America! Restore the Republic, Reject Socialism!

“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it”. – Mark Twain